Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to India last week came at a tense time, or so it seemed. In late December, India voted in favor of a resolution at the United Nations General Assembly rejecting the Trump administration’s unilateral recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. Then, in early January, just two weeks before Netanyahu’s trip, India’s Ministry of Defense scrapped a $500 million deal with Israeli defense contractor Rafael to import Spike anti-tank missiles and later produce them under a license in India.

But Netanyahu’s government downplayed New Delhi’s vote at the U.N. before his six-day visit, and in India he appeared to salvage the missile deal in direct discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who reportedly agreed to buy a reduced number of Spike missiles. India has been Israel’s largest market for defense exports. ...

Get unlimited access to must-read news, analysis and opinion from top experts.
Subscribe to World Politics Review and you'll receive instant access to 9,000+ articles in the World Politics Review Library, along with new
comprehensive analysis every weekday . . . written by leading topic experts.